To find out, SquareTrade, an independent warranty provider, subjected Samsung's hot new Android phone to a drop test. For comparison, it also dropped another hot phone with which you may be familiar: the iPhone 4S.

It's actually a three-part test. First, SquareTrade dropped the phone from ear level — certainly a fair test since a drop while making a call is probably the worst case scenario because of the phone's height above the ground. Next, they gave both phones to two small (and super-cute) kids, simulating what a toddler might do to a parent's phone. (SquareTrade says one in four parents have had their kids damage their phone in some way.)

Finally it was time for the car test, letting both phones slip off the back trunk of a moving vehicle as it pulls away. One in 15 people have damaged their phones "in and around" their cars, according to the company.

So who wins? It's actually a close one, with both phones sustaining damage in all three tests. However, the iPhone 4S came out with less wear and tear after two of the three tests. Samsung's latest and greatest withstood the Attack of the Kids better than the iPhone, though — possibly due to its plastic back (the iPhone's is glass).

How much punishment should a smartphone be able to withstand? And does any phone on the market impress you with its durability? Let us know in the comments.

BONUS: 6 Ways to Kill Your iPad

How to Kill Your New iPad

With a Laser (and Flashlight)

So you think your new iPad is getting warm? Try handling it when a laser makes it burst into flames.

With an Assault Rifle

Nothing quite says "die, new iPad" like shooting it.

Drop It

Here's the more prosaic way to destroy your tablet -- drop it onto concrete. And throw in an iPad 2 for good measure.

With a Baseball Bat

When the first iPad came out, one kid tried replicating the famous printer-killing scene from Office Space -- with rather less satisfaction.

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